Direction indicator for road vehicles



Dec. 14, 1926. 1,610,815

W. ROBINSON ET AL DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed April 22', 1925 Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

@TTQES ATENT W'ILLIAM ROBINSON AND JOHN WILLIAM TUNSTALL, OF BOLTON, ENGLAND, AS- SIGNORS TO HARRY TUNSTALL, OF FAI'RHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR ROAD VEHICLES.

Application filed April 22, 1925, serial No.

Our invention relates to devices or apparatus whereby the driver of a road vehicle may indicate, both at the front and at the rear of the vehicle, the direction in which he is a wont to go or follow whether it is during the day or during the night or dur ing low visibility and our said invention consists in an improved construction and arrangement of parts whereby a light may he laid bare or a moving light may be employed during dark weather or in the latter arrangement the device may be used without such light, our said apparatus being; of such a character that when the light or in dicator occupies a central position the traight direction ahead is indicated while the driver may move saidlight or indicator to the left or to the right or may lay bare such light to the left or to right to indicate the direction about to he tazen and when liberated or left free said light or indicator returns to'its central position. 1

ln carrying our invention into effect we make use of devices illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing in full lines our improved indicator in its normal central position, while the broken lines show the same indicator in its respective positions to the right and left of said normal position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of certain parts shown by Fig. 1 and illustrates the operating parts thereof hereinafter described.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the parts shown by Figs. 1. and 2.

Fig. i is an elevation of a device which we may u e atthe rear of a vehicle and arrange same to he brought into use in conjlu'iction with our improved devices shownhy Figs. 1 to In carrying: our invention into effect we make use of an arm 2 which is fixed upon a. shaft 3 extending across a casing the arm having a downwardly projecting extension 8 provided with two laterally projecting pins 7 and g.

The casing 4 supports the shaft 3 by beari ngs 8 which are fixed upon the upper wall 3* of the casing. Through said upper wall or cover a slot 8 is formed, through which the extension 8 and end portions of the springs hereinafter described extend.

Upon the shaft 3 are mounted two spiral springs 7 and 7? and each of these springs 24351 211111 in Great Britain May '8 1924.

has one of its extending cnds fixed or resting upon the hearings 3 while the oil er end a or a of the spring 7 or 7 extends downwardly to contact with a fixed stop bar 21 against which it will press when free and thus be arrested in its normal position.

The fixing of the springs 7 and 7 upon the shaft 3 is also such that the recoil of these springs causes the outer ends of their extensions (4- and a to press against the stop bar'Ql as stated, while when in this position they .secure the arm 2 in its normal central position as is shown in full lines, Fig. 1.

whereas when the arm 2 is moved to the left or to the right then one or other of the springs 7 or 7"is put into a state of tension while the other remains inactive and in its normal position. v

Fixed upon the shaft "3 is a pulley 9 around which a cord or chain 10 may he made to pass in order that the shaft 3 may he turned by having saidchain or cord fixed to an operating handlever or the like under the control of the driver who may then more such lever to turn the shaft 3 as is desired. Or in place of the pulley 9 and cordl'O any suit-able lever devices may he made use of for turning the shaft 3 and its arm 2.

hen the shaft 3 is turned as above described it carries withit the arm 2 and consequently the extension 8 of said arm so that when moving to the left as SllOiVli by Figs. 1 and 2 the projecting pin 7 will have carried the extension a of the spring: T into the position shown by Fig. 2, consequently the spring 7 will be put into a state of tension so that it is adapted to cause the return of'said extension 8 and pin fwhen the operating; device is released and said end of the spring a will return to bring its lower end into contact with the stop bar 21 thus said spring assumes its normal position.

Then the shaft 3 is turned in the opposite direction then the pin 9 on the extension 8 will come in contact with the lower end of the extension a from the spring 7 and so will Wind up said spring 7 simultaneously with the moving of the arm 2 to the opposite side of its centre and again when liberated, said spring 7 by its recoil will bring the arm a into its normal central position.

At the upper end of the. arm 2 we mount the arrow shaped head 20 which is the indicating device and we prefer to form this head 20 as a lamp preferably of the electric type so that by having current SUPPllQCl thereto the direction indicator may be used tion indicated to them that the driver intends to take.

This lamp casing t has in its side wall,

transparent openings in the form of the letters'L and R or in the form of arrows c and (Z as shown by Fig. 4:. Or the wall may be transparent while the letters and arrows are opaque so that when the arm and the lamp 20 at the front of the vehicle are moved to the left, the letter L and the arrow 0 will be illuminated at the rear of the vehicle; whereas when the driver moves the lamp 20 to the right, then the latter R and the a "row (Z will be displayed by being illuminated, or we may make use of only the letters L and R or the two arrows alone in the manner described.

In connection with apparatus and devices hereinbefore described we make use of terminals 10 and 10* which are in the form of springs as shown by Fig. 2. These terminals we arrange so that as the extension 8 is moved to theright as is shown 2 it will complete the circuit through the spring 10 and light up the letter L and arrow 0 at the rear of the vehicle, while when said extension 8 is moved to its opposite position then it couples the circuit through the spring 10 and lights up the letter R and arrow (Z.

The springs 10 and 10 are preferably so situated that the moving of the end of the extension 8 may proceed beyond said springs 10 and 10 thus it completes the circuit momentarily and causes a flash of light at the rear of the vehicle and this flash would call the attention of those behind the vehicle so that the direction might be more clearly indicated. Further than this on the extension 8 returning it would again cause a flash to the rear ofthe vehicle which would accentuate the indication desired to be given to those behind said vehicle.

It will now be seen that a direction indi cator embodying the invention, includes a casing having shaft bearings 3, and a spring stop 21, an indicating arm 2 fixed to the shaft and projecting radially therefrom, said arm having an extension 8, operating means such as the pulley 9 and cord or chain 10 for rocking the shaft in its hearings to vary the angular position of the arm, and

oppositely acting springs such as T and 7 engaged with the casing and with the arm extension anc adapted to cooperate with the stop 21 to normally hold the arm 2 in the predetermined central position shown by full lines in Fig. l, the arm being movable in oppositedircctious from said position by the operating means.

It will also be seen that the arrangement is such that a movement of the arm 2 in either direction from its central position, tensions one of the springs without tensioning the other, he tensioned spring acting to return the arm 2 to its central position when the operating means is released, and being limited in its action by the stop 21, so that the two springs normally hold the arm 2 in its central position.

We claim:

A direction indicator comprising a casing having shaft bearings, an indicating member-carrying shaft journaled therein, operat ing means for rocking the shaft, and means for normally holding the shaft between the extremes of its rocking movement, said means including a spring stop fixed to the casing, an arm fixed to the shaft, and oppositely acting springs supported by the casing and engaged with the arm, said springs cooperating with the stop and arm to manually hold the arm in a predetermined central position, and the shaft between the extremes of its rocking movement, the'arrangement being such that a movement of the arm in either direction from its central position tensions one of the springs, without tensioning the other, the tensioned spring acting to restore the arm to its central position and being limited in its action by the stop.

JOHN WILLIAM TUNSTALL. WILLIAM ROBINSON. 

